Fluorescent lighting fixture with quick detachable reflector



Oct. 10, 1950 R. E. KINGSTON EI'AL FLUORESCENT LIGHTING FIXTU WITH QUICKDETACHABLE REFLE R Filed Feb. 28. 1950 INVENTURS RONALD E. KINGSTONRQBERT 6. MARCHISIO Patented Oct. 10, 1950 FLUORESCENT LIGHTING FIXTUREWITH QUICK DETACHABLE REFLECTOR Ronald E. Kingston, Ipswich, and RobertG.

Marchisio, Wenham, Mass, aesignors to Sylvania Electric Products 1110.,Salem, Mass at corporation of Massachusetts Application February 28,1950, Serial No. 146,673 1 Claim. (Cl. 240-51,,1}?

This invention relates to electric lighting flxtures and moreparticularly to those in which elongated linear light sources such asfluorescent lamps are employed.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved mechanism forsupporting the reflector member of a. fluorescent lamp fixture.

Another object is to provide a mechanism through which a reflector maybe supported by the end plates of a fluorescent lamp fixture.

A further object is to provide a. mechanism through which a reflectormay be easily .and quickly mounted on or disengaged from the end platesof a fluorescent lamp fixture.

Further objects, advantages and features will be apparent from thefollowing description when read in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawing in which: a

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a fluores-' cent lamp fixturewith which the reflector-end plate assembly of our invention maybeemployed.

Figure 2 is a bottom view of the fixture of Figure 1 showing themechanism through which the reflector is supported from the end plates.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken along line 3-3 oi Figure1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 4--4 of Figure3 showing the manner in which the reflector is supported from an endplate.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 5-5 of Figure3 showing the manner in which the reflector is supported from an endplate.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the reflector-end plateassembly.

This invention embodies the idea of providing a novel means forsupporting the reflector of a fluorescent lamp fixture. Moreparticularly, it embodies the idea of providing the inside face of eachend plate of a fluorescent lamp flxture with a spring latch whichengages slots cut in the ends of the reflector, thereby supporting thereflector. Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawing show one type offluorescent lamp fixture with which the reflector-end plate assembly ofthis invention may be employed. Its ready adaptability to fixtures otherthan the one illustrated will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

The fixture as illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3 comprises an elongatedchannel-like chassis I, a pair of end plates 2 attached to the endsthereof, a V-shaped reflector 3 supported by the end plates 2 anddisposed beneath the chassis .l. a plurality of louver flns 4 connectedto and extend- 2 ing transversely of the reflector 3, and a pair oflight-controlling panels 5 supported by and extending between the endplates 2..

The elongated channel-like chassis l serves as a mounting member towhich a ballast and conventional wiring equipment (not shown) may beattached.

The top of the chassis I is provided with a plurality of knock-outs (notshown) through which suitable mechanical connections may be made to hangor mount the fixture and through which the wiring equipment may beconnected to a source of electric power. A pair of lamp holders 6 may bemounted on the inside face of the chassis l at each end thereof andproject outwardly therefrom through suitable cut-outs. Fluorescent lampsI: are supported by these lampholders 8. Alternatively, the lampholdersmay be mounted on the end plates 2. The end plates 2 are attached to thechassis i by means of screws II which extend through the chassis and aninwardly turned flange 8 on the upper peripheral edge of each end plate;and by means of a pair of lances 9 in the inside face of the end plateswhich interlock in slots therefor in the sides of the chassis adjacentthe ends thereof.

The manner in which the reflector 3 is supported from the end plates 2is illustrated in Figures 3-6. Each end plate is provided with a springlatch l3 and the ends of the reflector are slotted at Ill. Mountingofthe reflector 3 on the spring latches I3 is accomplished by firstplacing one end of the reflector 3 against one of the end plates withthe fingers IQ of the spring latch l3 extending through the slots ill inthe end of the reflector. The fingers IQ of the spring latch I3 on theother end plate are then depressed and the other end of the reflector isbrought up until the slots ID in the ends thereof are in register withthe fingers I! of the spring latch IS. The fingers I! are then released,permitting them to snap into the slots It in the ends of the reflector.

The advantages of this mounting arrangement will be readily apparenttothose skilled in the art. Not only does this method of supporting thereflector lend itself quite readily to the manufacturing assemblyoperation but it greatly simplifies the maintenance of the fixture. Whenit is desired to remove the reflector for cleaning purposes or to gainaccess to the electrical equipment in the chassis I, all that anoperator has to do is to depress the spring fingers I9 of one of thelatches i3, thereby freeing one end of the reflector, and then withdrawthe other end thereof from its interlocking engagement with the flngersI! of the other latch it.

The reflector 3 has a plurality of slots cut transversely therein intowhich louver flns 4 are inserted. Each rm 4 has a tab H formed integraltherewith which is deformed after the fin has been positioned in thereflector slot, thereby providing a mechanical locking of the fin to thereflector (Figure 3) The inside face of each end plate is provided withtwo pairs of retaining tabs i5 which support the light-controllingpanels 5. The lower edge of the panels 5 seat in the hook portion !8 ofthe louver fins 4. The panels 5 are retained securely in position bylatches I! which are pivotally mounted on the end plates 2.

A pair of reflector chain retainers I8, one end of each of which isattached to the chassis l and the other end of each to the tab H of alouver fin l, are provided at each end of the chassis I (Figure 3).These retainers I 8 permit the reflector-louver assembly to be suspendeda few inches below the chassis after it has been disengaged from thespring latches l3 on the end plates 2. For maintenance purposes, thisalternative may be preferable to complete removal of the reflector 3 asdescribed above. The chain retainers l8 also serve as safety hangers incase of malfunction of the spring latches I3.

What we claim is:

In a lighting fixture, the combination of a chassis; end plates mountedon the ends of said chassis; a spring latch mounted on the inside faceof each of said end plates and lying in a plane substantially parallelto the longitudinal axis thereof, each latch comprising a pair ofresilient fingers lying in a horizontal plane and extending in oppositedirections; and a reflector disposed beneath said chassis and havingslots cut in and extending inwardly from the ends thereof through whichthe resilient flngers of the spring latches extend.

RONALD E. KINGSTON. ROBERT G. MARCl-IISIO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date D. 156,765 Quin Jan. 3, 19501,931,343 Cook et a1. Oct. 17, 1933 2,392,306 Biller Jan. 8, 19462,411,952 Biller Dec. 3, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date681,532 Germany Sept. 25, 1939

